We had a frosty morning yesterday (April 3rd) here in Maryland and the tulips at Brookside Gardens still held the misty crystals when we got there. Enjoy my collage of pictures below…along with a rather scruffy looking robin.
The azaleas are also beginning to bloom at Brookside although not quite at their peak just yet.
It’s already April. We had some unseasonably warm days in March but now seem back into a more seasonable pattern. I took a walk around our yard this morning and created a montage of the pictures below.
So - the early April checkpoint for our yard here in Maryland is: The early bulbs (hyacinths, crocus and daffodils) are spent. The day lily leaves have recovered from the deer browsing so they may bloom normally later this spring. We have two tulips blooming in the same bed as the day lily greenery; the deer ate the rest down to the ground. The robins are very active and singing every morning. The maple samaras are about ready to fly - the lower branches have been thoroughly browsed by the deer so may 'self-prune' in upcoming months. The oak buds are popping from the top down. Our tulip poplar has a lot of spring green leaves and tight green flower buds all over. The iris green leaves are up already; they must be too tough for the deer since they don’t even have teeth marks. The tortoise that lives in that garden was out on one warm day but retreated when it got colder here during the past week; I didn't see him at all this morning. Our struggling azalea has a few blooms.
Previous Months
Spring officially starts tomorrow…but the robins have already arrived in Maryland and they are a big part of spring. They are birds frequently seen over most of the continental US and easily recognized with the red plumage of their breast and charcoal feathers on their wings, back, and head. Their eyes are often lined in white. We get large numbers of them in the Maryland spring as they make their way north.
Sometimes they look very trim…almost skinny…when they arrive. But the spring rains bring fat worms close to the ground surface and the robins have feasts that quickly fatten them up.
Sometimes on cold mornings they fluff their feathers and the ‘red breast’ becomes even more conspicuous
As the days warm, some will continue northward while others will stay to lay eggs and raise their young. We almost always have a pair that builds a nest under our deck. Our cats can hear them from the screen enclosed portion of the deck; hours and hours of close scrutiny through a crack in the flooring ensue. The robins enjoy the safety of the high rafter and the cats get to watch the drama of birds coming and going.
Our yard is showing signs of spring.
The few crocus that escaped the squirrels are almost done for the year. The daffodils and hyacinths are taking over the show. The maples look flocked in red from afar but full of bursting buds on closer inspection (see my post from two weeks ago about the edge of spring to compare).
The deer are still hungry. I put some plant stakes around my day lilies and tulips to deter them but noticed this morning that they've nibbled the tulip leaves. The bottom branches of the maple tree have no buds remaining; it is very obvious how far the deer can stretch for food.
Celebrating the whole of life....
Thanks for visiting my blog! Enjoy the photo picks from last month:
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